Archie Cameron

Archie Galbraith Cameron (22 March 1895 – 9 August 1956), was an Australian politician. He was Leader of the Country Party 1939-40, and Speaker of the House of Representatives 1950-56.

Biography

Archie Cameron was born in Happy Valley, South Australia, and was the son of a Scottish-born farmer. He was educated at state schools and worked on his father's farm at Happy Valley until 1916, when he joined the First Australian Imperial Force and fought on the Western Front. He was gassed while in the front, suffering severe damage to his heart and lungs. After World War I Cameron took up farming at Loxton, and became active in the newly formed Country Party. In 1922, he married Margaret Eileen Walsh.

Political career

In 1927, Cameron was elected to the seat of Wooroora in the South Australian House of Assembly, and became leader of the state branch of the Country Party. He helped shepherd the merger of the SA Country Party with the Liberal Federation to form the Liberal and Country League. As part of the deal, in 1934 he was elected to the House of Representatives for Barker, a mostly conservative seat stretching from rural southeastern South Australia to the outer suburbs of Adelaide.